Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often so
having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want to
clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.

Price of electrics is $99 to $199.
Gas from $249 to $thousands.

Your thoughts?

On 5/25/2015 7:41 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often so
having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want to
clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.

Price of electrics is $99 to $199.
Gas from $249 to $thousands.

Your thoughts?

I've got electric.

Not much good for siding that you can't reach.

Was watching neighbor clean his siding with a gas powered with an
extension and asked if that would work with mine.

He pointed out that while mine may have had the pressure, it did not
have the volume and extension would be useless for me.

Depends on your needs. Extra gas engines are a PITA to nurse, OTOH if
job is big, gas would probably be better.

On Mon, 25 May 2015 19:41:28 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often so
having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want to
clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.

Price of electrics is $99 to $199.
Gas from $249 to $thousands.

Your thoughts?

A few electric units are reviewed here.

http://www.consumersearch.com/pressure-washers/best-electric-pressure-washers

I prefer a gas one as it is portable on job sites that have a water
supply and no electric. Still hanging in there after 22 years. Has a
brass pump. "Some" electric ones have weak plastic parts with a short
life spans. YMMV

Frank" "frank wrote:
On 5/25/2015 7:41 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often
so having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want
to clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.

Price of electrics is $99 to $199.
Gas from $249 to $thousands.

Your thoughts?

I've got electric.

Not much good for siding that you can't reach.

Was watching neighbor clean his siding with a gas powered with an
extension and asked if that would work with mine.

He pointed out that while mine may have had the pressure, it did not
have the volume and extension would be useless for me.

Depends on your needs. Extra gas engines are a PITA to nurse, OTOH if
job is big, gas would probably be better.

Gas engines fed with non-ethanol gas are not a PITA if you run the carb
bowl empty before you store it . The real problem is finding non-eth gas to
feed it , and that can be difficult in metro areas . I'm lucky in that
respect , 3 stations here sell it , but only one has regular . Boo hoo hoo ,
I might have to run premium in my tractor .
If you read the warranty , many small engines are not warranted if you run
ethanol laced gas in them . Read the fine print , that's where they usually
hide their weasel words .
--
Snag

On 5/25/2015 8:37 PM, wrote:


I have 2 electrics. One is a 120v toy that is OK for washing the
lovebugs off your car and such.

That's what I was afraid of.

On 5/25/2015 7:41 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often so
having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want to
clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.

Price of electrics is $99 to $199.
Gas from $249 to $thousands.

Your thoughts?

I made the mistake of buying one off Ebay, missing
parts, and then made the mistake of buying another.
(plastic pump housing which cracked). For my third
unit, I went to home Depot and bought one that had
a metal pump housing. Red unit, can't remember the
brand.

The third unit has served me well, and made me a
bunch of money over the years. I've also done
some good neighbor stuff (used it for a friend,
to clean some white plastic chairs). And done a
bunch of outdoor home cleaning, like cleaning off
the dirt from my white plastic mail tube. And clean
the trailer siding, and wash the salt from under my
vehicle.

I regret the units off Ebay, but totally benefit from
the metal pump unit from Home Depot.

-
..
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
.. www.lds.org
..
..

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
On 5/25/2015 8:37 PM, wrote:


I have 2 electrics. One is a 120v toy that is OK for washing the
lovebugs off your car and such.

That's what I was afraid of.

They work fine for small jobs. You have to get pretty close to get any power, so
jobs go slowly, but they are quite useful occasionally. And they are much easier
to store than the bigger units.

"Terry Coombs" wrote in message
...
Depends on your needs. Extra gas engines are a PITA to nurse, OTOH if
job is big, gas would probably be better.

Gas engines fed with non-ethanol gas are not a PITA if you run the carb
bowl empty before you store it . The real problem is finding non-eth gas
to feed it , and that can be difficult in metro areas . I'm lucky in that
respect , 3 stations here sell it , but only one has regular . Boo hoo hoo
, I might have to run premium in my tractor .

Around here there is a Shell station that sells premium ethonal free gas.
Costs about a dollar more per gallon. I run it in all my small engines and
add Sta-bil to help my piece of mind. I have a tiller that I only use about
one or two times in the spring. For the last several years I run it empty
and store it all winter. This year the first time I put gas in it and gave
it a pull it started on the first pull. About the same as it does every
year, a pull or two and it is running. The gas I put in it was from
sometime last fall. I last mowed in Novermber to get rid of the leaves so
the gas is atleast that old (5 or more months).

stores around here sell non ethanol gasoline, but its costly.

i have a electric pressure washer that works well for me.........

small jobs mostly

"bob haller" wrote in message
...
stores around here sell non ethanol gasoline, but its costly.


It is about a dollar more a gallon here. As I use less than 125 gallons a
year I can stand that for peace of mind. I do add the stabil to it,so that
does increase the cost.

On 5/25/2015 10:58 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
"bob haller" wrote in message
...
stores around here sell non ethanol gasoline, but its costly.


It is about a dollar more a gallon here. As I use less than 125 gallons a
year I can stand that for peace of mind. I do add the stabil to it,so that
does increase the cost.


Small engine repair shop I frequent when I can't DIY recommends Sea Foam
vs. Sta-Bil. Sea Foam in addition to treating/stabilizing the fuel does
a great job keeping the fuel system clean.

Ed Pawlowski writes:

Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often
so having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want
to clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.

Price of electrics is $99 to $199.
Gas from $249 to $thousands.

Your thoughts?

Love mine.
They're great for the type of jobs you list.

I clean my rather large composite deck every year.
Outdoor furniture, siding, concrete walkways.

Take it indoors in the winter.

--
Dan Espen

Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often so
having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want to
clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.
Price of electrics is $99 to $199.
Gas from $249 to $thousands.
Your thoughts?

I have a small 120V electric one I picked up at Home Depot about 10 years
ago. Huffy brand I think, but just going from memory.

Pros:

- No gas or oil to deal with.

- Small. I store mine in the original box on the upper shelf of a cabinet
in my garage.

- Sufficiently powerful for cleaning sidewalks, decks, lawn furniture,
siding, etc.

- Lightweight. Nice if you need to use it at another location, such as the
in-laws house.


Cons:

- Less powerful than gas models. For me, that's a good thing as I'm less
likely to cause damage to decks or siding in normal use.

- Have to drag a cord around. Not a huge deal breaker since you have to
drag a water supply hose around anyway.


Overall, I have been quite happy with my little electric pressure washer. I
only use it once a year or so, and don't really need the power of a gas
model. You can always rent a large gas model if you have a job the electric
washer can't handle.

Anthony Watson
www.mountainsoftware.com
www.watsondiy.com

On 05/25/2015 07:41 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often so having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want to clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.

Price of electrics is $99 to $199.
Gas from $249 to $thousands.

Your thoughts?

There's nothing wrong with an electric pressure washer if you buy a decent one:

http://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/01366301

On Tue, 26 May 2015 04:44:03 -0400, Red wrote:

On 05/25/2015 07:41 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often so having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want to clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.

Price of electrics is $99 to $199.
Gas from $249 to $thousands.

Your thoughts?

There's nothing wrong with an electric pressure washer if you buy a decent one:

http://www.mscdirect.com/product/details/01366301

Thanks for the link. Sort of.

On Monday, May 25, 2015 at 8:38:19 PM UTC-4, wrote:
On Mon, 25 May 2015 19:41:28 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often so
having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want to
clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.

Price of electrics is $99 to $199.
Gas from $249 to $thousands.

Your thoughts?

I have 2 electrics. One is a 120v toy that is OK for washing the
lovebugs off your car and such. The other is a real one, 3000 PSI at
2.5 GPH with a 240v 30a 5HP motor on it. That will run with most
consumer grade gas machines.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/too...7872_200347872

I cut the original plug off and put a "dryer" plug on is so it is more
portable. Everyone has a dryer. That and a 50' extension cord lets me
use it just about anywhere. I also have 10-30r receptacles around my
house for the pressure washer and my welder that has a dryer plug on
it too. It has become my standard 240/30a plug for everything.

Kind of what I was going to say. I have a 120V electric one,
but it's a real heavy, well built, commercial use type one
that I bought used. It will run on a 15A
circuit, but just barely. It's fine for washing off the sidewalk,
patio, siding, etc. I haven't used the lighter, cheaper, typical
electrics, but suspect they would be less useful. And for things
like concrete, a gas one with higher pressure and volume would
work faster. As others have pointed out, it's not just pressure,
it's the volume that matters too. So, depending on what you want
to use it for, how often, etc, maybe a good electric one would be
fine.

IDK if they rent electrics, but maybe that's an option to try
it out?

Unquestionably Confused wrote:
On 5/25/2015 10:58 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
"bob haller" wrote in message
...
stores around here sell non ethanol gasoline, but its costly.


It is about a dollar more a gallon here. As I use less than 125 gallons
a year I can stand that for peace of mind. I do add the
stabil to it,so that does increase the cost.


Small engine repair shop I frequent when I can't DIY recommends Sea
Foam vs. Sta-Bil. Sea Foam in addition to treating/stabilizing the
fuel does a great job keeping the fuel system clean.

I use enough gas that I don't usually treat it . If it's going to be used
in 3 months or less , there's no need . The exception is my generator , I
usually use some stabil in it because it can sit for months at a time . I
still run the carb dry between uses , and it's never failed to start on the
first pull .

--
Snag

On 5/25/2015 8:47 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Frank" "frank wrote:
On 5/25/2015 7:41 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often
so having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want
to clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.

Price of electrics is $99 to $199.
Gas from $249 to $thousands.

Your thoughts?

I've got electric.

Not much good for siding that you can't reach.

Was watching neighbor clean his siding with a gas powered with an
extension and asked if that would work with mine.

He pointed out that while mine may have had the pressure, it did not
have the volume and extension would be useless for me.

Depends on your needs. Extra gas engines are a PITA to nurse, OTOH if
job is big, gas would probably be better.

Gas engines fed with non-ethanol gas are not a PITA if you run the carb
bowl empty before you store it . The real problem is finding non-eth gas to
feed it , and that can be difficult in metro areas . I'm lucky in that
respect , 3 stations here sell it , but only one has regular . Boo hoo hoo ,
I might have to run premium in my tractor .
If you read the warranty , many small engines are not warranted if you run
ethanol laced gas in them . Read the fine print , that's where they usually
hide their weasel words .


I ran into that with my snow thrower. Think shop had a kit to clean up
and now I use gas with ethanol, only one available unless I get marine
gas or drive 100 miles. Running dry at end of season no problem but
still annoying.

On 5/26/2015 8:15 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
Unquestionably Confused wrote:
On 5/25/2015 10:58 PM, Ralph Mowery wrote:
"bob haller" wrote in message
...
stores around here sell non ethanol gasoline, but its costly.


It is about a dollar more a gallon here. As I use less than 125 gallons
a year I can stand that for peace of mind. I do add the
stabil to it,so that does increase the cost.


Small engine repair shop I frequent when I can't DIY recommends Sea
Foam vs. Sta-Bil. Sea Foam in addition to treating/stabilizing the
fuel does a great job keeping the fuel system clean.

I use enough gas that I don't usually treat it . If it's going to be used
in 3 months or less , there's no need . The exception is my generator , I
usually use some stabil in it because it can sit for months at a time . I
still run the carb dry between uses , and it's never failed to start on the
first pull .

I use Stabil in my generator's gas but try to run it about every three
months. Not a problem but annoying and this is one of the PITA's with
gas engines.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often so
having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want to
clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.

Price of electrics is $99 to $199.
Gas from $249 to $thousands.

Your thoughts?

I have two mid-range Karcher electric ones I got with Air Miles points.
One at home and another out at cabin. They do adequate job for my needs.
Cleaning walls and decks, cars, driveways, patio, etc.

On Mon, 25 May 2015 19:41:28 -0400, Ed Pawlowski wrote:

Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often so
having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want to
clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.

Price of electrics is $99 to $199.
Gas from $249 to $thousands.

Your thoughts?


For the use you describe, electric would be sufficient. It will be
less powerful and a bit slower. I have a gas unit I used in my
business before I retired and it works very well. If I had to replace
it for home use I would get a high end electric unit not another gas
unit.

On 5/25/2015 4:50 PM, Frank wrote:
On 5/25/2015 7:41 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often so
having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want to
clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.

Price of electrics is $99 to $199.
Gas from $249 to $thousands.

Your thoughts?

I've got electric.

Not much good for siding that you can't reach.

Was watching neighbor clean his siding with a gas powered with an
extension and asked if that would work with mine.

He pointed out that while mine may have had the pressure, it did not
have the volume and extension would be useless for me.

Depends on your needs. Extra gas engines are a PITA to nurse, OTOH if
job is big, gas would probably be better.

In 120V countries an electric one has limited uses. I have both. The
electric one is good for smaller jobs that don't need the volume and
pressure of a gasoline powered one.

In 240V countries you can get powerful electric pressure washers. You
can get them here too but they are commercial models and very expensive.

On Monday, May 25, 2015 at 6:41:26 PM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
Are they OK for light use or a waste of money? I'd not use it often so
having a gas engine to care of could be a potential PITA. I want to
clean siding, outside of gutters sidewalk and steps.

Price of electrics is $99 to $199.
Gas from $249 to $thousands.

Your thoughts?

My CleanForce 1800 electric (about $100) works fine for anything I have needed it for. I've used it to clean siding, entry mats, and a grouted bathroom floor. After a couple of uses, the hose burst and, although I had purchased an extended warranty from Home Depot they refused to honor it saying the hose was not warranted. I contacted the manufacturer and they sent me a whole new unit.
You want to match the pressure to the job. Too much pressure can cause damage to siding, wood decks, etc.